my husband only uses dove soap. we buy the traditional dove beauty bars by the case. any time there's a variation on the original dove i'm eager to try it, just to change things up a bit. this season dove has created a special beauty bar just for summer called summer care. i couldn't wait to make that our official soap of the season.

summer care is a hydrating formula, designed for skin spent days in wind and sun. it's also a bit more exfoliating than the original beauty bar, with tiny flecks of exfoliating scrub built in. the scent is totally unique - lotus petals and seagrass.

i love the idea that this soap, like the long hot days of summer, is a fleeting treat. it's here to be savored for the next few months, then tucked away as a happy memory. available now.

it's been a minute since i found a mascara that i just loved. the sort of mascara you can't wait to tell a friend about. well, that time has come again.

covergirl the super sizer by lashblast is just that sort of mascara. it has lift, separation, and volume -- all for a drugstore price. that's pretty much what i (or any sane person) am looking for in a mascara. i want it to seem like i have lash extensions, without actually sitting still for an hour plus. this mascara achieves that it. it my new go-to (in very black) and should be yours, too.

it's weird, and weirdly comforting, that even during an unsettling time a new makeup treat can still fill me with joy. that's how i felt last week, when i got an early sample of the 'blame it on NARS' true NARS lip pencil set. for a fleeting, but very real, moment i felt like the luckiest girl in the world. i think that's part of what i love about beauty, it's a promise of hope and excitement often presented in perfect packaging.

this set includes:

yu shocking pink (permanent collection)

luxembourgvivid watermelon (permanent collection)

provocative red fuchsia rose (limited edition)

NARS pencil sharper

provocative red initially looked too brown for my taste -- but turns out it is the perfect rosy hue. just brown enough to hint at the 90s, but sheer enough to be modern. my favorite thing to do with this kit is layer any of the above two colors together to create new shades.

the kit is a nordstrom anniversary sale exclusive. $49 ($81 value), available 7/17/15.

nair is one of my beauty staples. even though removing body hair is not inherently glamorous, i still hold a child-like idea of nair as sophisticated and adult. the brand inspires nostalgia, yet continues to adapt to present day trends and needs.

my absolute favorite way to use nair is to get rid of unwanted facial hair. it's the easiest, cheapest, and least painful (in fact not painful at all!) method of get rid of errant hair. each new nair formula smells better and is less irritating than the last, and im happy to report that the newest formula - nairprecision kit for face + upper lip moroccan argan oil - doesn't have any chemical smell and results (at least for me) in only about 5 minutes of redness in the area of removal.

nair has added many products for many parts to their moroccan argan oil line, but this one happens to be my favorite. the line is available on shelves nationwide. nairprecision kit for face + upper lip moroccan argan oil retails for an SRP of $6.75.